I remember a thread in E-Sangha in which you wrote about the process of you becoming a monk. Do you still have a copy of this? If so, do you think you could post it here? I remember that it was very interesting to read.

I remember you talking about breaking up with your girlfriend and selling your possessions in New Zealand and that it felt like your old life was dying. You went to some meditation retreat in Africa where you could hear explosions and gunfire not too far away. You talked about slowly learning to read Chinese Buddhist texts and living with Chinese Zen monks. Unfortunately, I don't have a memory like Ananda's, so that's all I remember...

I remember a thread in E-Sangha in which you wrote about the process of you becoming a monk. Do you still have a copy of this? If so, do you think you could post it here? I remember that it was very interesting to read.

No, I don't. Sorry!

I remember you talking about breaking up with your girlfriend and selling your possessions in New Zealand and that it felt like your old life was dying. You went to some meditation retreat in Africa where you could hear explosions and gunfire not too far away. You talked about slowly learning to read Chinese Buddhist texts and living with Chinese Zen monks. Unfortunately, I don't have a memory like Ananda's, so that's all I remember...

um... er ... not quite. But this paragraph above gives us an idea about how true stories can quickly turn into exciting mythologies!

"To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never, to forget." –Arundhati Roy

I remember a thread in E-Sangha in which you wrote about the process of you becoming a monk. Do you still have a copy of this? If so, do you think you could post it here? I remember that it was very interesting to read.

No, I don't. Sorry!

I remember you talking about breaking up with your girlfriend and selling your possessions in New Zealand and that it felt like your old life was dying. You went to some meditation retreat in Africa where you could hear explosions and gunfire not too far away. You talked about slowly learning to read Chinese Buddhist texts and living with Chinese Zen monks. Unfortunately, I don't have a memory like Ananda's, so that's all I remember...

um... er ... not quite. But this paragraph above gives us an idea about how true stories can quickly turn into exciting mythologies!

Do you remember which section of E-Sangha you posted it in? Was it in "Personal Experience" or somewhere else?

It's possible that it may still exist on archive.org, although the odds are against it. I checked a few pages there, but didn't run into it.

Ogyen wrote:oh this sounds like a juicy narrative. it has the makings of a grand mythology a melodharma in its own right! HAHA

If it's ever made into a musical, a naga should be included! Ogyen, you could be inside the front, and I could be inside the back of the naga costume.

The Life of Huifeng: The MusicalAct 1, Scene 1: Huifeng's Lament and the Dance of the Naga King

The young Huifeng is sadly washing dishes back in his kitchen in New Zealand. "Oh, how my life has little meaning, but my interest in Dharma is growing," he sings.

Then the Naga King appears and sings, "Oh my boy, you should become a Zen Buddhist monk and devote yourself to Dharma!" and begins to dance. (Ogyen and I will have to really practice to get the giant naga costume dancing correctly.)

The young Huifeng steps outside the kitchen set in front of a backdrop of a beautiful New Zealand forest and begins to dance with the Naga King, hesitantly at first, but then he is swept away by the joy of the Naga King's Dharma dance. Later on, other people in animal costumes and Maori tribal people come onstage and begin to dance with them.

The young Huifeng and the Naga King sing a duet together which culminates in both of them singing a high B-flat at the end. (Catmoon will sing the part of the Naga King offstage with his stunning baritone voice.)

Luke wrote:The young Huifeng steps outside the kitchen set in front of a backdrop of a beautiful New Zealand forest and begins to dance with the Naga King, hesitantly at first, but then he is swept away by the joy of the Naga King's Dharma dance. Later on, other people in animal costumes and Maori tribal people come onstage and begin to dance with them.

I too have heard the story of Ven Huifeng meditating in the midst of a raging battle in Africa. It is said that so tranquil was his meditation that soldiers abandoned the fight, and many from both sides came to sit and ponder with him. Animals from the forest, who had been hiding from the battle for days, were so overjoyed at the chance the forage for food, that they brought offerings and laid them all around, and when they had fed themselves, they returned to sit with the young monk.

Hungry ghosts of soldiers killed in the battle were attracted by the offerings, which they were miraculously able to eat, and were satisified and content for the first time in their lives. They too joined the meditation, and accumulated such great merits that each was assured of fully human rebirth.

Then a shadow passed across Ven. Huifeng's brow, and a frown creased his face. A murmur spread through the gathered throng. Was he about to speak? Would the Dharma be revealed in it's full glory? Or was it just gas again? Then placing his hands in the mudra of expounding Dharma, he spoke.

"This battle is ended, learn well the lesson I have taught here today, without the use of words. Peace is available to those who simply accept it. There are many other battles being fought at this time, and I have much work to do. Be well." And with that, he vanished in a flash of light and a peal of echoing thunder, and was not seen in that place again.

So I have heard. I think. Well my memory isn't what it used to be. You know how it is.

On a serious note, I did more digging around at archive.org in the E-Sangha pages. I didn't find Ven. Huifeng's biography, but I did find a useful clue to narrow the search down: his profile said he joined E-Sangha on September 29, 2005.

I stopped posting on E-Sangha around 2008, so that means that there is a span of three years to search for this thread by Ven. Huifeng. Although I remember that the thread was quite old when I found it using the search function at E-Sangha in 2007 or 2008, so most likely it was written in 2005 or 2006.

If some of you are more savvy at searching internet archives, perhaps you might get lucky and run into it.

"To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never, to forget." –Arundhati Roy

I thought the Disney version, A Dance with the Dharma -- Venerable Huifeng and the Naga King was pretty disappointing, and cannot recommend it. I read somewhere that a 3D remake is in the works, but I don't trust Hollywood to do justice to this epic. You never know though. The Maori dance scene might look great in 3D. Who knows. For me, the original text will always be the thing.

Su DongPo wrote:I thought the Disney version, A Dance with the Dharma -- Venerable Huifeng and the Naga King was pretty disappointing, and cannot recommend it. I read somewhere that a 3D remake is in the works, but I don't trust Hollywood to do justice to this epic. You never know though. The Maori dance scene might look great in 3D. Who knows. For me, the original text will always be the thing.

I remember you talking about breaking up with your girlfriend and selling your possessions in New Zealand and that it felt like your old life was dying. You went to some meditation retreat in Africa where you could hear explosions and gunfire not too far away. You talked about slowly learning to read Chinese Buddhist texts and living with Chinese Zen monks. Unfortunately, I don't have a memory like Ananda's, so that's all I remember...

um... er ... not quite. But this paragraph above gives us an idea about how true stories can quickly turn into exciting mythologies!

Okay, so you weren't personally around any gunfire, but there was an explosion and you picked up a cobra with your bare hands! (Are you sure it wasn't the Naga King? Lol) It's still a great read!

But what strikes me most is the high quality of the monastic training you received and how hard you worked at it.

Do you think you will one day open up your own Buddhist sangha for lay people and pass on what you've learned? Do you plan to write any Buddhist books in the future?

Indeed, while the usual thing amongst many practitioners of Dharma in the west is to "open up your own Buddhist sangha" sort of thing, as a part of Foguang Shan, we do things as a larger sangha, rather than smaller independent groups.

Mainly I am working on my dissertation, but have a few large translation works which are 80% finished.

In your bio, I noticed that you became a monk not too long after you graduated from university. Did you have any student loans to pay back? If so, how did you manage this? Or is university free in New Zealand? Or was your family just rich?